An Interview with cozy mystery author Amy Metz

Today I have the privilege to interview Amy Metz about her Goose Pimple Junction cozy mysteries.

Kayta: What does your writing process look like?

Amy: As soon as I have an idea of what I want the story to be, I sit down and get as much of it on paper/screen as fast as possible. I only worry about getting the bones down. Then I go back and add to the dialogue, scenery, and characters. At this point, I usually have some brave soul (or souls) read it and offer criticism. Then I go over it and edit and enhance again. The next step is to leave it alone for a few months and go back at it fresh. I edit and enhance some more, and then send it to a professional editor. When she’s done, I incorporate her suggestions, and send it to a proofreader. When I can’t stand to go over it one more time, I declare it ready to publish.

Katya: Do you have any strange writing habits?

Amy: Strange writing habits? No. Strange personality traits? Yes.

Katya: What is your favorite/least favorite part of the writing process?

Amy: I love the middle part, after the bones are down but before any real editing takes place. I love going back and adding layers—kind of the skin and clothing. I like developing the characters and making the story come alive. My least favorite part is in the beginning, when I get stuck on the plot.

Katya: Is there a subject you would never write about?

Amy: Lots of them! But I can’t write about them. Sorry, that was lame.

Katya: How important are names in your books? How do you select names?

Amy: Names in the South are extremely important, so they’re equally important in my books. I keep a running list of names I come across and like. Sometimes a character is born with a name. Other times, I refer to the list and choose one that I think matches him or her.

Katya: What literary character is most like you?

Amy: Eeyore on a bad day, Piglet on a good day.

Katya: What is something you want to accomplish before you die?

Amy: I’d like to be deeply, passionately in love and have that feeling returned. Is that an accomplishment?

Katya: Where is one place you want to visit that you haven’t?

Amy: The Redwood Forest.

Katya: What books/authors have inspired you?

Amy: Dennis Hart and Michael Lee West.

Katya: What are you working on now?

Amy: Rogues & Rascals in Goose Pimple Junction, the third book in the series.

Amy: Thank you so much for hosting me!

When Tess Tremaine starts a new life in the colorful town of Goose Pimple Junction, curiosity leads her to look into a seventy-five-year-old murder. Suddenly she’s learning the foreign language of southern speak, resisting her attraction to local celebrity Jackson Wright, and dealing with more mayhem than she can handle.

A bank robbery, murder, and family tragedy from the 1930s are pieces of the mystery that Tess attempts to solve. As she gets close to the truth, she encounters danger, mystery, a lot of southern charm, and a new temptation for which she’s not sure she’s ready.

Goose Pimple Junction is just recovering from a kidnapping and a murder, its first major crimes in years, when trouble begins anew. Life is turned upside down in the quirky little Southern town with the arrival of several shifty hooligans: A philandering husband intent on getting his wife back, another murderer loose in town, a stalker intent on frightening Martha Maye, and a thief who’s stealing the town blind of their pumpkins, pies, and peace. Together, they’re scaring the living daylights out of the residents and keeping the new police chief busier than a set of jumper cables at a redneck picnic. Suddenly, he has his hands full trying to apprehend a killer, stop a stalker, and fight his feelings for the damsel in distress.

About the author:

Amy Metz is the author of Murder & Mayhem In Goose Pimple Junction. She is a former first grade teacher and the mother of two sons. When not actively engaged in writing, enjoying her family, or surfing Facebook or Pinterest, Amy can usually be found with a mixing spoon, camera, or book in one hand and a glass of sweet tea in the other. Amy lives in Louisville, Kentucky.